WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in the Sprint Cup Series with a NASCAR record nine wins on road courses.

Tony Stewart’s five Cup series wins at Watkins Glen International are the most of any driver.

Neither can touch Marcos Ambrose’s record of late at The Glen, however, which includes six victories — all since 2008.

Ambrose, who drives for Richard Petty Motorsports, won three consecutive Nationwide Series races at the Glen from 2008 to 2011 and again on Saturday. He also won the Cup events in 2011 and 2012. He started from the pole in last season’s Cup race and led 51 of 90 laps only to get caught up in a wreck with five laps remaining.

Ambrose, who will start second, is once again a favorite to win today’s Sprint Cup race, and this year the stakes could not be higher.

“We know we have a chance to win this race to lock into the Chase and that is a big thing for our team and would make our year. It is an important weekend, no doubt,” said Ambrose, whose only NASCAR victories have come on road courses.

“There are going to be 10 to 12 guys out there that have a shot to win the race. You just know going in that it won’t be a cakewalk, it is going to have to be a big grind to get the victory.

“I have been here in Victory Lane lucky, been here deserving it and I have lost races here when I deserved to win as well.”

NASCAR’s changes to the Chase format this season all-but guaranteed that a driver who earned a victory in the first 26 races would contend for the series championship. With 11 different winners and only five races remaining before the 16-driver field is set, it’s now a certainty.

While Ambrose’s road course skills honed in his native Australia provided him good opportunities to earn victories each season on NASCAR’s road courses, this year’s payoff could be a career-defining one.

A trip to the Chase would be a first for Ambrose and he would join RPM teammate Aric Almirola, who is already qualified thanks to a win in the rain-shortened race last month at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Ambrose’s NASCAR success has been hit-and-miss and he wants to see the RPM organization as a whole become more consistently competitive.

Also on Saturday:

Witness: Tony Stewart hits driver at dirt track: CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Authorities are investigating a serious crash that injured one person at a New York dirt track where Tony Stewart was racing on the eve of a NASCAR race. A fan says it appeared Stewart hit a driver who was walking on the track after they collided on a prior lap. Michael Messerly says the driver was thrown a great distance. He says Stewart did not appear to be injured. A hospital spokeswoman says one patient is being treated from Saturday night’s crash at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. She would not give a condition or further details. The track canceled the remainder of the Empire Super Sprints slate within five minutes. The Ontario County Sheriff’s Department says its officers are at the track investigating. Calls to Stewart’s representatives were not immediately returned.